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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26864518">No Reason Not To Try</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zambietrashart/pseuds/zambietrashart'>zambietrashart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanfics (get it? please don't scroll past I'm sorry!) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Again, Alex comes out to his parents, Alex gets kidnapped by Caleb, Alex goes on a bad date, Alex has a panic attack, Alex needs a hug, Alex-centric, Another carrie friend fic, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Mostly cause I can't think of the other one that I'll do right now, Once it transfers over to 2020 it stays there, Some takes place in 1995, The last one where Alex gets a hug is totally a surprise, Willie is going to be here around chapter three or four, for the first five chaps, shorter chapters, sorry - Freeform, supportive friends, the rest is a surprise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:27:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26864518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zambietrashart/pseuds/zambietrashart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex just wants to live his life, he just wants to be himself without anyone judging, he wants to have a nice date, he wants to stay with his friends, he wants everything to settle, he wants to stop running away, he wants his friends to stop asking him questions, he just wants a hug, is that too much to ask for?</p>
<p>Alternate Title: Five Times Alex Needed A Hug and The One Time He Got One</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Bobby | Trevor Wilson &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie, Alex &amp; Carrie Wilson, Alex &amp; Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie, Alex &amp; Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanfics (get it? please don't scroll past I'm sorry!) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>192</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One: Alex Comes Out To His Parents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I still love this fandom, the people here are great, that's right I'm talking to you. I've done one of these before for a different fandom and I might use that one and tie it in here later so if you want another 5+1 in a different fandom please feel free to go look at it on my profile. So yeah have fun reading and I'll see you at the end cause I don't think I'll be posting another A/N for the rest of the fic cause these are kind of tiring to write.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luke, Reggie, Alex, and Bobby sat at their desks watching the clock waiting for class to be over and when the bell rang, they jumped up and ran out of the classroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to go grab my drum sticks. I'll meet you guys there,” Alex said and Luke looked at him knowingly. Alex had come out to them a few months ago and he told Luke that he was planning on telling his parents. Alex stopped in front of his house feeling his heart hammer against his chest at an unfamiliar beat. He opened the door hoping that his parents weren’t home. His father sat on the couch with his mother running around the kitchen taking something out of the oven. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex darling, could you help me with something really quickly?” Alex’s mother asked and Alex closed his eyes breathing in trying to calm himself before nodding and making his way into the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something’s wrong isn’t it, what’s the matter precious?” Alex choked back the lump in his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I’m gay,” Alex said just low enough for his mother to hear and she gasped eyes wide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t even joke about such a thing!” She yelled smacking her son upside the head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Alex said, tears welling up in his eyes and he ran to his room hearing his mother tell his father who came running after him. Alex was off his feet being carried to the couch he kicked screaming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are no son of mine! Apologise to us!” His father yelled squeezing his arm so tight that Alex couldn’t feel his arm anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t!” Alex yelled back and his father slapped him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t yell at me boy!” He yelled, shoving Alex across the room into a glass table, glass shards embedded themselves in his arms and legs as he got up to run back to his room and out through his window. “Come back here boy! We’re not done!” Alex had a bag packed for this exact moment and ran down the street wiping tears from his eyes as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He stopped in front of the studio sniffling one last time and checking his reflection in the glass to make sure his eyes weren’t red anymore. He kneeled in front of the door taking off his gold chain with a cross on it pulling the cross off throwing it as far as he could breathing heavily and the door swung open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex?” Luke asked and Alex just nodded walking in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Alex said, holding himself and putting his bag down grabbing his sticks from the side pocket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure? You seem a little frazzled man,” Reggie asked and Bobby agreed, walking closer to him. Alex pulled his sleeve down hiding the blood from the glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we just play?” Alex asked a little upset and Luke gave Reggie and Bobby the look of we’ll get back to it later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Later was nine pm on that Tuesday night when Alex should have been going home but he stayed in the studio with Luke picking glass out of dried bloody cuts in the small bathroom. He snuck up into the loft falling asleep easily but tossing and turning through the night. He was woken up by Luke that morning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” Luke asked and Alex shook his head bangs falling down into his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing’s wrong,” Alex said, because admitting that his parents hit him and hate him made it real and this was something that his parents would get over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you better than that man, something is wrong and I need you to tell me,” Luke grabbed Alex’s shoulders shaking him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you, it’s nothing,” Alex grabbed some clothes changing and grabbing his school bag storming out of the studio where Reggie and Bobby were waiting for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luke thought that you might try to get out of this conversation so he called us this morning,” Reggie explained but Alex sidestepped walking away from them running when he saw them walk after him. Alex stopped in front of the school breathing heavily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just another day,” Alex told himself, wiping his eyes walking through the door letting himself be carried by denial. “Everything is fine.” He closed his eyes and breathed in walking to his first class sitting there staring off into space. It’s always going to be another day, another hit, another homophobe, another concerned friend, another “I’m fine” and Alex was realizing that but nothing ends that easily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Two: Alex Goes on a Bad Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a warning there is some noncon in here but it's just kissing nothing too bad and the lyrics that Alex writes at the end of the chapter are in fact lyrics to a song that I wrote and worked really hard on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alex sat across from a guy from an opposing school. He had met him at a basketball game, he was so confident and it made Alex a little nervous at first but he was pretty sure that things were going to go well after the guy asked him out. Alex’s hand was shaking as he dragged Alex to a movie theater choosing a spot in the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know what you wanted to watch so I sort of just picked an action movie,” Cameron said smiling nervously over at Alex and Alex just shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine I’m fine with anything as long as it’s not horror,” Alex said laughing a little and Cameron yawned putting his arm around Alex’s shoulders urging Alex to lean into him. Alex exhaled deeply before placing his head on Cameron’s shoulder hugging his knees up to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The movie started and Cameron started getting closer and Alex looked around at other couples around the theater who were making out vigorously. Alex gulped sneaking a glance at Cameron who’s hand moved to the back of his neck, his hand was cold and pushing him to look up at him. Alex looked around again and Cameron’s hand got tighter around his neck pushing harder. Alex stood up and walked out of the theater hearing footsteps behind him, Alex started running faster only to get pulled back by his jacket once he got outside of the theater being pushed into the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you wanted to take it outside all you had to do was say so,” Cameron said smirking at Alex who was struggling to get past him. Alex tried to push him but Cameron pushed back grabbing Alex’s right wrist pinning it to the wall. “Come on, you didn’t seem like the feisty type when I asked you out,” Cameron said grabbing Alex’s chin with his other hand raising his head to meet Cameron’s. Alex tried to push his head back to the wall as far as possible. Cameron pressed his lips firmly to Alex’s pressing a knee in between his legs keeping him there as his hand trailed slowly down Alex’s body stopping at the small of his back. Alex kept his head against the wall trying not to cry, if he cried then Cameron would try to shut him up even more. Cameron had already “wasted” money on him and Alex didn’t want to test his patience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex took a deep breath through his nose before pressing his lips back against Cameron’s feeling him smile into the kiss. Cameron pulled on the back of Alex’s hair disconnecting their lips before attacking his neck with rough kisses. Alex didn’t expect that his first date or even first kiss were going to go anything like this, would everyone do this to him? Could he trust anyone to go on a date with him? He thought he liked Cameron but when he bit down hard enough to bruise, Alex pushed him off successfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought we were having fun,” Cameron said moving back in but Alex just shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re having fun, I never asked for any of this. You asked me to go see a movie with you, I thought that just meant go and hold hands in a dark theater not make out in front of a movie theater,” Alex rambled breathing heavily after and Cameron lifted his face up with a finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dear Alex, you have so much to learn,” Cameron said pressing one last kiss to his lips and a bite to the neck before walking off. “Come back to me when you learn how a date is supposed to go hot stuff. You have so much potential!” Cameron yelled over his shoulder and Reggie picked that moment to walk around the corner and shrug at a disheveled Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have fun?” Reggie asked taking in the hickey the size of a small continent forming on his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Alex said feeling tears coming back to the surface. Reggie looked Alex over again noticing the way his body was starting to quiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you had fun?” Reggie asked and Alex put on a smile and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you give me a ride to the studio, I want to write something down,” Alex said and Reggie nodded and the two made their way there and Alex pulled out a sheet of paper scribbling some lyrics down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I was alone, and I was cold, you left me with no hand to hold. I was a dreamer and I was meek you just wanted to see me weak. You can break me and make me a soul survivor, I will be on the front lines in the fire. You would stomp on me and push me to the ground only in this dark road is where I feel found. If you want me you have to let me go only on these highways is where I grow.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Alex smiled slightly at the words feeling his heart on the page before shoving it under his pillow and falling asleep feeling a tear roll down his face. It’s always going to be another day, another boy who doesn’t take no for an answer, another kiss without consent, another concerned friend, another “I’m fine” Alex sighed wiping the tear away falling asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Three: Alex Gets Kidnapped But Makes a New Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'll put in a chapter at the end that is just the song for the story cause I actually finished it but sometimes I read through it and I don't like the lyrics but at the end of the story I'll post it. Now if you will excuse me, I have another hour to write another chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>2020 was a hysterical year, coming back from the dead, Nick turning out to be Caleb in disguise, Caleb taking Alex back to his club and holding him for a ransom and hell it’s only the beginning of October. Caleb walked in the room humming looking over Alex who groaned hitting his head back against the wall for the seventh time that minute. Caleb walked over to Alex ripping the tape off his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a problem boy!” Caleb yelled and Alex nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you could write another song beside Other Side of Hollywood right cause I don’t want to listen to that one song for the rest of eternity,” Alex said and Caleb rolled his eyes gesturing for Willie to come in the room. Alex hadn’t seen Willie since before he was supposed to complete his unfinished business. Willie ran over to Alex holding his face before being thrown over to the other side of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All you have to do is agree to convince your friends to join the club and you can be free Alex, do we have a deal?” Caleb asked and Willie groaned getting up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you ever think that there was a reason why a band of young teens don’t want to work for an old ghost man like you?” Alex asked, tilting his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Caleb said, starting to think about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s cause you’re the bad guy, you take but you never give back and that really pisses me off,” Alex said and all of a sudden he was out of his chains. Willie got up and ran over to Alex taking his hand leading him out of the club. Alex poofed away from him and onto a rooftop already feeling tears spilling out of his eyes. He took out a piece of paper that had been in his pocket since the day he died. Bold lyrics stood out and the word Highways on the top of the page shouted at him to keep writing. He hummed a tune for the chorus before putting everything that he felt on the page.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take my hand as we walk across the way I hold on forever every rainy day. I was the slave and you were strong together, bound was where we belonged. I won’t give up at the ends of the road. You hurt me with words ready to reload,” Alex sang and a door flew open and a girl in slippers and a pink robe walked over to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” she called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I just have a minute before you try and kill me?” Alex asked looking out over the view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I try and kill you, you haven’t done anything wrong?” she asked and Alex twisted around seeing Carrie looking down on him offering her hands to help him up. “I saw you poof up on the roof and figured that you could use a hand,” Carrie said smiling slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m just confused, the guy that I like works for the bad guy and tries to help me then all of a sudden he’s with the bad guy again, why is everything so complicated!” Alex yelled frustrated and Carrie just put a hand on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come inside, it might help you calm down a little,” Carrie said leading the poor ghost boy inside. Alex put the paper down and Carrie looked at it reading through the words. “Wow, this is good,” Carrie said and Alex went to grab the paper but Carrie walked ahead pulling it in the opposite direction he was reaching. “It has so much emotion in it: I will travel my way down cracked and broken highways. You will be there at the end of the road just out of reach a sight to behold. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone,” Carrie read, feeling tears spring in her eyes at the words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was private,” Alex said grabbing the paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should sing it,” Carrie said and Alex just shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should get back home, I’m kind of tired,” Alex said and Carrie went to block him from getting up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a little then you can leave,” Carrie said and Alex sighed, sitting down and starting to tap a beat on his leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will never see you the same way again, I was wrong to think we could be together til the end. I still need you near even when you were so cold, you were something about me that felt safe to hold. Not anymore, I don’t need you anymore. If you wanted me gone you would have sent me away, now just waiting till the day I feel sane,” Alex sang and Trevor came down the stairs and Alex hid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What dad?” Carrie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just, that voice sounded familiar and so did the song,” Trevor said and Carrie shrugged. Alex had poofed back home and to the couch where his friends were sitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what the hell were you thinking, we were all scared that we would never see you again,” Luke said hitting Alex lightly on the arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I was scared too,” Alex said walking up to the loft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get some sleep man, you’re gonna need it for tomorrow!” Luke yelled up and Reggie laughed when Alex flipped him off crashing on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea how he always stays so strong,” Reggie whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He doesn’t want us to see him weak,” Luke said pulling Reggie out of the room to go bother Julie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s always going to be another day, another crush you can’t talk to, another person who doesn’t get it, another song you’re scared to sing, another “I’m fine” Alex smiled at the thought of his new friend before falling asleep..</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Four: Alex Visits His Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Puffs of hot air pressed out clearing themselves into the cool winter air, breathing could be heard and fast paced steps approached a small house with a brown exterior and a blue lantern hanging outside the door. Alex stood in front of the door phasing through and looking at the kitchen with white countertops, he saw a woman looking at a picture laughing at it before placing the frame back down on top of the fireplace. A girl with brown hair came walking through the door patting her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex?” his mother asked and the girl shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry mom,” she said and Alex realized that it was his older sister Sarah. She was in college when he came out and when he died. “You always think I’m Alex, he hasn’t come to visit in forever mom, why would Alex come to visit now?” Sarah asked and Alex realized the cold truth that his older sister didn’t even know he has been dead for the last twenty-five years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s too embarrassed that he never played the Orpheum, he doesn’t want to come back after he realized that he wasn’t actually gay and that he’s married with two little kids now named after his sweet parents who tired to tell him his dreams were worthless,” she said looking straight forward and his father came in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey honey, Alex just called today with an update that things are well with him and his wife, the baby should be around in two weeks, Jenefer is so excited,” Alex’s father said and Alex felt tears in his eyes. His father was lying to all of them, making his mother and sister think that he was still alive, making them think he was married to a woman, making them think he was having a kid. It was cruel not only to his memory but to his family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex ran to his sister’s room thanking whatever God there was that she still had a whiteboard on her wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Sarah, whatever mom and dad say, don’t believe them. I’m not getting married to a girl named Jenefer. I came out as gay twenty-five years ago and mom and dad must still be in denial that they lost me to a tainted hot dog before playing at the Orphuem. I died Sarah, dad must have been the only one who knew but I will always be looking over you. Please just find a way to tell mom.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Love, Alex</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex poofed out of the room hearing the door open looking at her read the note on her whiteboard sinking to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex, are you here?” Sarah asked quietly and Alex picked up a pen waving it at her. “I hate them, I hate that they did this to you, why didn’t you call me, how old are you, how did you get here, I have so many questions!” Sarah yelled tears streaming down her face. Alex grabbed a piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><strong>I ran away, I hate it too, I thought you were going to be busy with some guy, I’m still 17 it doesn’t feel like a day has past since 1995, a girl summoned us with our demo, I had so many questions at first but I met a guy who answered so many of them and I think I might like him.</strong> Alex wrote and Sarah smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy for you, could you give me a hug?” Sarah asked, wiping tears from her eyes. Alex just poofed out. “Alex?” she asked and Alex held himself in the corner of his old bedroom. He didn’t even want to try hugging Sarah cause he knew it wouldn’t work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry Sarah, I love you,” Alex said hand to the wall where she would be.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sarah come play with me!” Alex yelled and she walked over to her ten-year-old brother. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ok, I can’t play for long ‘Lex,” Sarah said and some of her friends ran over too picking the boy up and one of the boys who was Sarah’s boyfriend placed a black tattered hat on his head.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Be good ‘Lex,” he said ruffling his hidden hair and walking off to his truck with a guitar in the back and rock music started blasting. His mom ran outside screaming after her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sarah!” she yelled before collapsing crying. “She’s always with that boy! He took her away from us, he took my girl!” she cried and Alex ran in through the back door hiding the hat under a box in his closet. For two years he just took out the hat and prayed to God that Sarah would come back. He eventually gave up and met a kid named Reggie who hung out with one of his old friends Luke.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You have long hair,” Reggie said, feeling the taller’s hair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, I haven’t gotten it cut since Sarah left, she always liked messing it up right before church,” Alex said smiling a little at the thought of his sister’s hand in his hair again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I heard about Sarah leaving with her rocker boyfriend, sorry about that,” Luke said, hugging Alex around his shoulders and Alex bit back tears.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She’ll come back, she always does, God will lead her home,” Alex said, reciting what his parents said.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, she’ll come back dude, you have nothing to worry about!” Luke said and a boy passed them in the hall looking Alex up and down before smiling over to his friends. The pre-teen felt his eyebrown furrow looking at the eight grader.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s his problem?” Reggie asked and Alex just sank back in on himself before running to the bathroom. Luke just looked after his friend sighing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“His problem was that he always tries to freak Alex out with gross perverted looks, he always used to make some sort of excuse to pick him up when we were kids when they were teasing us. Stay away from him you creep!” Luke yelled, pulling Reggie along to the bathroom where Alex was crying on the floor.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get up,” Luke said, holding his hand out and Reggie smiling down on him. Alex grabbed each of their hands getting up and enveloped in a hug. He felt safe and warm in a way that he hadn’t felt since his sister left.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Reggie always does something when he feels down, we’ll have to teach it to you if you join our band practice this afternoon,” Luke said and Alex smiled nodding.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll be there.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex, please, I need you to give me a hug!” Sarah cried and Alex phased through the wall only to see his father comforting her. Alex tried to hug her but just went right through her like he knew he would. He missed seven years of hugs and now this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything is ok darling, he ran away just like you,” his father said and Sarah cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t Sarah! Trust me not him! He’s just telling you this cause you ran away!” Alex had to think for a second. “Can you, can you hear me?” Alex sang and Sarah looked back but their father kept dragging her forward. “Gotta get, gotta get ready, cause it’s been years,” Alex sang following them to the kitchen where the sat down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys never told me that Alex died eating a hot dog on the night he was supposed to play the Orpheum, or that he’s gay mom, why didn’t you tell me! I would have loved him and supported him but you two, you’re just too greedy to let him express himself! I should have come back for him or taken him with me where at least he could have been free from you!” Sarah stormed out of the house and Alex stood behind her as she cried. Alex felt tears roll down his face too. Alex grabbed a notebook from her bag and a pen and she watched. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>It’s always going to be another day, another parent who won’t listen to you, another pinch of regret, another I’m sorry you’re scared to say,</b>
  <span> “But you’re fine,” Sarah finished for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>But I’m fine</b>
  <span>. He wrote standing next to his sister for what felt like hours before her husband showed up in the same pickup truck calling to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you Alex,” she said and Alex just cried cause once again, he was losing his sister but this time for good. He poofed back to the studio falling alseep peacefully cause thoughts of his sister alway kept him up at night and now he know where she is, what's she's doing, and who she's with and if his parents didn't care, that was their choice and they made it a long time ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is the highway that I have to roam," Alex sang softly to himself. "This is the highway that I walk alone."</span>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Five: Alex Comes Out to His Fans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Luke, Reggie, and Alex just poofed off stage smiling and tapping each other’s backs laughing. Julie ran back to them jumping in a circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was so good guys! We killed it!” Julie yelled and Flynn came bursting in squealing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, that drum solo was fire, and the voices, just OMG, I have to post this video, everyone has to see it!” Flynn squealed tapping her phone and posting it there were instantly about 20,000 views.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is awesome!” Julie yelled watching the counter get higher. Comments were coming in about how cute the boys were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like Alex is at the top this week for girls wanted to just eat him alive and then make a home with him,” Flynn said, reading off one of the comments word for word nose scrunching up and Alex shivered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did it just get ten times colder in here or was it just me?” Alex asked and Luke laughed, throwing a hand over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See through shirt wasn’t the best idea bud,” Luke said smiling as Alex crossed his arms over his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going out,” Alex said, poofing out and to Carrie’s house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought the shirt was just a myth,” Carrie said sarcastically before smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Girls want to have my children,” Alex said, flopping on her couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know and some of my girls are included in that crowd. Are you going to come out or just let girls keep attacking you with comments about how toned your chest is and how your hair is just so perfect and how you look so mysterious when you smile need I go on?” Carrie asked, scrolling through her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I get the hint, I should probably come out and walk around more often,” Alex said and Carrie smiled, grabbing his hand pulling him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go out,” Carrie said and Alex laughed with her walking down the street singing a Sunset Curve song the last the boys had played before they died.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re music is good,” Carrie said laughing a little as they walked into the mall, Alex tried hard to make himself visible to others and when he did, girls ran over to him knocking him over. “Off, all of you have no chill!” Carrie yelled helping Alex up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys really shouldn’t get your hopes that far up,” Alex said nervously scratching the back of his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re with that spoiled brat!” a girl yelled and girls started screaming trying to take Carrie apart with their words and some of them even grabbed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Alex yelled eyes closed hands balled into fists. “I like a guy, you shouldn’t get your hopes up cause I’m gay,” Alex breathed out and girls sighed before brightening up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re going to just love you even more, nothing is better than an unattainable boy,” Carrie said and Alex’s eyes widened and he ran away poofing when he turned a corner going back to the entrance of the mall where Carrie would be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This just made me the band’s mascot didn’t it?” Alex asked and Carrie nodded and he sighed poofing back to the studio where Julie, Reggie, and Luke were waiting for him with crossed arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know what you just did?” Luke asked glaring slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came out?” Alex asked back eyebrows going up trying to find a problem with what he just did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What Luke means is do you know what you just did?” Reggie asked in a deeper tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex thought back to everything he did, he knew he didn’t poof in front of anyone he had rounded into the boys bathroom while running and girls weren’t that desperate, unless they were and that would just be horrible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came out?” Alex asked again and Luke slammed his head into a wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You put yourself in the spotlight, people from our past life might come looking for us, that would be bad for the band and us cause Caleb can get to us Alex,” Luke said holding his friend’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re mad cause it’s not you and Julie up in the front anymore, maybe I get a little tired from being in the back all the time, I write songs too Luke,” Alex was interrupted by a piece of paper being held out in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Highways, you wrote this after you came out the first time and then when Cameron did what he did, when everything was hard you would pull this out and add all of your pain to it, it’s a good song Alex and I know that you can’t just sing in the background forever so next song is yours,” Luke said and Reggie nodded along. Julie smiled at Alex as tears came down his face and he grabbed the paper poofing out and back to Carrie’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They want me to sing,” Alex said behind Carrie making her jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Carrie asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’ve never really done a solo before, I want you to sing with me,” Alex said and Carrie smiled turning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do that for you Alex, you have to do that yourself,” Carrie said and Alex felt nerves build up. Alex poofed back to the studio breathing in deep leaning back against a wall. It’s always going to be another day, another person you try to get away from, another coming out, another song you’re scared to sing, another “I’m fine” Alex breathed in before humming the opening bars to Highways.</span>
</p><p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Six: Alex Sings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh the ending is just so good in my opinion if you have more no hugs that you might want to see, I can add them in but these just seemed to fit. Highways is a song that I wrote a while ago and it just fit with this fic so nicely so I'll post it just please don't copy it anywhere else. Thank you so much for reading.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Willie stood outside the concert venue helping a nervous Alex breath even if he didn’t have to. Alex was scared and that was understandable. He had told him everything about the song and its meaning to his life, it was more than just some love song or break up song, this was his life on a piece of paper, his sister leaving, his first boyfriend, coming out to his parents, it was everything that he would have ever needed to write in one song. This song was his independence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willie poofed Alex into the dressing room with Julie, Luke, and Reggie. “I can’t sing something about my lif ein front of all these people, they’ll laugh and say that I deserved it, I can’t j-just d-do th-this like you guys can,” Alex cried into his hands going to walk away but a hand grabbed his shoulder and Julie was standing there with her hand on his shoulder, yes you can cause we all know you can,” Julie said and Alex looked over at her and he nodded grabbing the microphone. Julie walked out onto the stage and sat down at her piano and started playing a soft underbeat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tonight, I have a friend who will be singing for us, most of you know him is the bashful drummer or now even the iconic drummer, Alex,” Julie said and the crowd cheered and Alex made himself seen picking up with Julie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was alone, and I was cold, you left me with no hand to hold. I was a dreamer and I was meek you just wanted to see me weak. You can break me and make me a soul survivor, I will be on the front lines in the fire. You would stomp on me and push me to the ground only in this dark road is where I feel found. If you want me you have to let me go only on these highways is where I grow.  </span>
  <span>I will travel my way down cracked and broken highways. You will be there at the end of the road just out of reach a sight to behold. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone.” He sang the rest of the song carefree and the audience’s phones lit up swaying along with him. The applause for him just singing in general was overwhelming. He poofed out and smiled at his bandmates who clapped for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the performance went well and Willie asked to speak to him, they held hands walking down the side of a beach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how you did it but you did it,” Willie said and Alex just looked at him in confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I do?” Alex asked puppy eyes looking into Willie’s making Willie’s heart melt just a little more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve fallen even more in love with you,” Willie said stopping and Alex tripped over his own feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you…” Alex was cut off with hands caressing his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you hotdog, is there anything I can do to make that more clear for you?” Willie asked and Alex tried to look down but Willie kept his face in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can think of one thing,” Alex said and Willie’s eyebrows raised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was a little uncharacteristically brave of you,” Willie said and Alex wrapped his arms around Willie’s neck hugging him and Willie hugged him back holding him like his afterlife depended on it. Once Alex pulled back, Willie laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, was that not what you had in mind?” Alex asked tilting his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not really, I expected too much from you Alex,” Willie said laughing at Alex’s hurt face which then turned pink when he realized what Willie thought he was going to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, see I was waiting for you to make the first momph…” Willie pulled Alex’s lips to his by the back of the poor blonde’s hair putting him out of his embarrassed rambling. Wille’s arm snaked around his waist and Alex just settled on playing with where Wille’s hair met his shoulders. Alex could feel the hand brush his waistline and up under his shirt feeling his back, teeth biting into his lower lip pulling forth a small moan from the blonde before disconnecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made my move,” Willie said and Alex’s eyes were still closed lips still slightly parted, shoulders slouched, shirt untucked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice move,” Alex said laughing a little at how dumb that sounded to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably one of my best,” Willie said taking Alex’s hand in his own walking again and Alex thought back through his checklist. </span>
  
  <span>He doesn’t want it to be another day, he doesn’t need another person to help him, coming out is always easy with Willie, he’s not scared to sing at the top of his lungs especially to the ones he loves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Alex said into the ocean air and Willie hugged him from the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re more than fine hotdog, you’re perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
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</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Full Song: Highways</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The full song written by: LMRockwood aka Zambie Trashart</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I was alone, and I was cold, you left me with no hand to hold. I was a dreamer and I was meek you just wanted to see me weak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You can break me and make me a soul survivor, I will be on the front lines in the fire. </span>
  <span>You would stomp on me and push me to the ground only in this dark road is where I feel found. If you want me you have to let me go only on these highways is where I grow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I will travel my way down cracked and broken highways. You will be there at the end of the road just out of reach a sight to behold. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Take my hand as we walk across the way I hold on forever every rainy day. I was the slave and you were strong together, bound was where we belonged. I won’t give up at the ends of the road. You hurt me with words ready to reload. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You can break me and make me a soul survivor, I will be on the front lines in the fire. You would stomp on me and push me to the ground only in this dark road is where I feel found. </span>
  <span>I will travel my way down cracked and broken highways. You will be there at the end of the road just out of reach a sight to behold. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not anymore, I don’t need you anymore. I will never see you the same way again, I was wrong to think we could be together til the end. I still need you near even when you were so cold, you were something about me that felt safe to hold. Not anymore, I don’t need you anymore. If you wanted me gone you would have sent me away, now just waiting till the day I feel sane. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So I will travel my way down cracked and broken highways. You will be there at the end of the road just out of reach a sight to behold. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone. You are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone. Yes, you are the highway that I have to roam, you are the highway that I walk alone.</span>
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